Homebrew: Wizard
See Classes Following changes to the Wizard Class: Copying and Learning a Spell: * When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. For each level of the spell, the process takes 1 day and costs 5 gp. * After copying the spell, you can make immediately an attempt at learning the copied spell by making an arcane check with a DC of 10 + Spell level. If you fail the check, you can retry learning the spell if you take 1 day of study time from your spellbook per level of the spell, without the need of copying the spell again. Creating a new Spell: The most interesting aspect of spell research, the creation of new spells requires a careful write-up and analysis in order to spot potential problems or abuses. Since the player must generate all the game-effect information for the spell, he must first write up a full description and then submit it to the DM for approval and modification. Note that modifying a new spell (i.e., deleting components, improving casting time or range, or changing the way it works) constitutes a new spell. Creating a “look-alike” spell to mimic a spell the PC is unable to learn is also considered to be new spell research. Approval and Modification After the player writes up the spell and refines it, the DM should review and analyze the spell. Is it the right level, or is it more powerful than it should be? If the PC was the target of his own spell, would it completely obliterate him? This might be a sign that the spell is too strong. Are the effects reasonable and appropriate for its power level? Does it permit the subject a chance to avoid its effects? Does the spell intrude on a role best left to another character—in other words, would it make the wizard a better thief than the party’s thief, a better fighter than the party’s fighter, and so on? A spell can take a few steps in this direction, but it should be examined carefully. Conducting Research Now that the spell has been described and approved by the player and the DM, the character can begin his research effort. Spell research is time-consuming and expensive. First of all, a wizard must have access to a well-equipped research laboratory and library. In fact, if his library isn’t good enough for the research, he may need to spend time and money improving his scholarly resources before beginning the research at all! Secondly, the character must refrain from adventuring and concentrate solely on his research, to the exclusion of all other activities. Spell research consumes at least two weeks per spell level, so researching a 3rd-level spell would require at least six weeks of game time. The character may take breaks from his research to attend to other matters, but if the break is longer than a day, he suffers a setback of some kind and loses one week’s worth of research. For example, if a wizard finishes four weeks of research and then finds that he must travel out of town for three days, he must repeat one week of his studies. If the break turns out to be longer than the time he’s already invested, all the research is lost and he must start over. Basic Time of Research = 2 weeks per spell level (2 weeks for Cantrips) Money is also an issue in spell research. Expending the supplies, reagents, tomes, and books required by the research consume 100 to 1,000 gp per spell level, above and beyond the normal maintenance cost of any laboratory used by the character. Success or Failure: If the character meets all the expenses and puts in his time with the books, he may attempt a success roll after the minimum research time (two weeks per spell level) has passed. Basic Success Chance = 10% +5% per class level + 1% per point of Proficiency in Arcana -10 % per spell level.